Social Impact

Irish rail service is implementing a 100 Euro fine for people who listen to music without headphones on their trains. I wonder if they could also fine my mom for her unrelenting use of speaker phone in public places?

@lovindotie

A new report from The Blackbaud Institute found that organizations that are proactive about their social impact are less troubled by the current economic climate. 

Top of mind of all social impact entities are government actions/regulation and revenue. 

Quiet cracking is joining quiet quitting as the workplace issue du jour. Quiet cracking is when employees are quietly losing their minds. Surprisingly to me, this isn’t a “oh, it’s GenZ” issue, it is everyone at all levels. 

A 2025 Gallup poll of the workplace found 52% of employees, at all levels, are disengaged.  @businessinsider

The Hill | ‘Quiet cracking’ is the newest term for a workplace problem — and it’s ‘pretty pervasive,’ expert says

This week, @washingtonpost highlighted a kid in Illinois who set out a free compliments stand in lieu of a lemonade stand. Why not advise clients to craft a free compliments stand that meets their needs?

After all,  happy, confident employees are productive employees which leads to greater revenue. Today is the day to start handing out free compliments.

Need to know how to make a team better than the sum of its parts? Find yourself a super-facilitator. The word super-facilitator describes a person who can “bring out the best in every team member—fostering trust, encouraging equitable contributions, and helping diverse skills click into place.” Super-facilitators cultivate collective  intelligence that makes teams soar. @harvard_business_review

Is there is a middle ground between 100% woke & 100% shareholders must win at all costs? This paper argues that there is no competition between woke and shareholder revanchist. Instead, a middle road has emerged as popular and lucrative which is “embedding social, environmental and ethical considerations into their business strategies – not in spite of profit, but because it contributes to long-term value creation.” 

The Conversation | ‘Go woke, go broke’ is no longer true. Socially aware capitalism is the future of corporate responsibility

No longer are local community partnerships optional for consumer good producers and consumer facing entities. Local partnerships deliver competitive value.   AInvest says “The data is clear: companies that align their CSR efforts with measurable community impact are outperforming peers in both brand loyalty and financial metrics.”

What is “AI psychosis?” Delusions or distorted beliefs that appear to be triggered by conversations with AI systems. To combat this it is important to not overshare with AI, to not rely on AI for emotional support, encourage human interactions, and professional help. @time

The UK 4 day workweek has been a success. Happier employees used fewer sick days and companies saw higher revenue. All businesses that participated in the 4 day work week program retained their 4 day work week. 

Let me translate to U.S.A. Speak- the employees were paid the same and had the same responsibilities as they would in a 5 day workweek. The key of the 4 day work week isn’t the 4 days, but that the employees feel empowered. Quelle surprise! Humans don’t want to be treated like cogs.

@incmagazine

AI is delivering on a plethora of new terms. Personality pairing is when AI agents are given “personalities that match or complement those of humans can greatly enhance collaboration. For instance, pairing conscientious AI with conscientious individuals improved performance and teamwork, while pairing conscientious AI with extroverted individuals improved productivity. @MITSloan

@harvard_business_review explains that fake news is also bad for businesses. By example, it mentions a fake tweet about free insulin that impacted a pharmaceutical company, It suggests these steps to counter fake news: (1)do not ignore it (2) show that the fake news perception is not widely credible (3)show that the business reputation is solid (4) ensure the business is transparent & credible.

Tampa Bay, Florida wants to be a cyber hub. To achieve this, leaders in education, business and the military are joining together to introduce the concept at the CyberBay 2025 summit Oct. 13-15. There’s clear audience specific messaging around this from a venture capital founder involved in the partnership.

“The role of the summit is to bring national attention to the need to protect our digital borders. The goal of CyberBay is to make cybersecurity ubiquitous throughout the United States of America. And so that means, every business, every agency, every organization in the United States has to be protected,” said Arnie Bellini, the managing partner at Bellini Capital, a venture capital firm. 

Route Fifty | Tampa, Florida looks to become national cyber hub

How do we take back the narrative? Let Samuel L Jackson in this @vattenfall advertisement show you how it is done. He references opposition to wind farms by saying “motherfucking windfarms” and then he says “mother fucking windfarms” like Samuel L Jackson would. Watch it here.

A new report from Kearney on circular fashion shows that circular fashion scores continue to rise, but that year to year growth is not as great as it was in 2024. They suggest  that mid-tier fashion brands are struggling to keep up. 

Simultaneously, regulations in the European Union are coming online as is California’s Responsible Textile Recovery Act. The California regulations will compel brands to take back and recycle used clothing—a clear shift from voluntary to mandated action.

@cnbc has ranked states on their quality of life. Those states failing  in quality of life are TX, OK, AR, AL, IN, UT, GA, LA, TN. Know what I see? Opportunities to improve quality of life. Half-glass full vision for us at InfoHive. 

Advising a client with the tendency to micromanage? The new term KPI, Killing Personal Initiative, refers to using metrics to drain motivation, creativity, and productivity. Solutions? Yes indeed. You can compare annual benchmarks, use adaptive-self-set targets, & open managment techniques. @corporate_rebels

Boston Consulting determined that women led start ups generate 78 cents on the dollar. Men led start ups generate 31 cents. First Round Capital reported that female-led companies in their portfolio performed 63% better than all-male founding teams. @8atthetable

We’ve talked about greenwashing. Today let’s talk greenhushing. 

79% of the 400 corporate executives surveyed continue to pursue sustainability (read: ESG) according to the 2025 U.S. Business Sustainability Landscape Outlook by sustainability intelligence platform EcoVadis. 

90% of executives maintained or increased their sustainability investments. 1/3 say they are decreasing their communications about ESG, but not decreasing actual ESG

Inc. | Companies Are ‘Greenhushing’ Their Ongoing ESG Efforts. 

Finland’s public schools start teaching media literacy to preschool students, and continue media literacy learning beyond preschool. Students learn to spot media manipulation while building critical thinking skills. @hearherstories

The Fairmont Tokyo, @fairmonttokyo has a delightful labrador named Serene as its Chief Happiness Officer. Two weeks in a row, canine Chief Happiness Officers. That makes me happy. @tatlertraveler

Let’s talk about a “fun allowance.” The term refers to an amount given to employees to cover the cost of employee bonding on their own terms. Real talk— forced group bonding experiences are not fun for all. Let employees choose how to bond with their colleagues.

“Consulting firm Omlie’s (@omlieconsulting) founder and CEO Sarah Burlew had a lightbulb moment: Real connection happens when people choose how to spend time together.” @femalequotient

The big beautiful bill slashed a tax break for employers that provide food and/or beverages to their employees. 44% of employers feed/caffeinate their employees. Happy employees, happy productivity, happy revenue. Au revoir to tax benefits that support happy employees.

According to @unitednations sustainable gastronomy is cuisine that takes into account where the ingredients are from, how the food is grown, and how it gets to our markets and on our plates. Has the UN hacked my kitchen and brain?

@MITSloan researchers analyzed jobs data and found that EPOCH jobs are safe from AI. EPOCH is an acronym for empathy & emotional intelligence; presence, networking & connectedness; opinion, judgement, and ethics; creativity & imagination; and hope, vision, and leadership.

Evolutionary Psychologist Robin Dunbar told @theeconomist that the most effective problem solving committees have 4 members. With 5 people, the conversation will fracture within 30 seconds

Harvested Robotics has a Chief Happiness Officer. The CHO is a golden retriever. What screams happiness more than a dog? Copy and repeat this brilliant idea.

@globalpositivenews

Welcome to ESG optimization. Lena Martinez of Nordis Capital says , “ ..ESG as a label is not th optimal approach. Rather, focusing on investing trends that do good and are good is more effective.” Pointing to the European Union’s reporting and standards point to data driven optimized ESG, without the ESG label while removing reputational risk.

Investing.com | The Great ESG Rebrand: Why a ‘Quieter’ Approach to Sustainability Is Winning

Much to my chagrin, I’m going to say “work hard, play hard.” this playing hard involves Legos. So, I might accept limited application of this obnoxious phrase. Deloitte includes in its well-being subsidy for employees- up to $1,000 for Legos. Legos are from Denmark, this how I’m justifying this Patrick Bateman-like phrase. @entreprenuer

Check out this foreseeable business trend… Spanish courts have ruled that single parents are entitled to the same amount of parental leave as couples. For the U.S. people-other places offer significant paternity leave for both parents. Shocking for some, 100% normal to Swedes. @the_happy_broadcast

H&M and Eileen Fisher achieved top rankings on a new scorecard evaluating how some of the biggest fashion companies are progressing on decarbonizing supply chains. H&M (Go Sweden!) led the group of 42 large fashion business with a B+. 

ESG Dive | H&M, Eileen Fisher top fashion environmental scorecard as other brands’ sustainability progress staggers

You remember how we’ve talked about Canadian doctors prescribing nature to their patients? And how forest bathing is a healing thing? Turns out 75% of people are more likely to visit nature if it is a doctor’s order. 9 countries provide for nature prescriptions. 

What is the lingo for a nature prescription? Social prescribing which is a care delivery that includes arts, movement, nature, and service to heal mental and physical ailments.

GoodGoodGood.co | 75% of people more likely to visit nature if ordered by a doctor, finds new ‘park prescribing’ study

According to a poll conducted by Axios, companies that maintained their DEI policies saw their reputational scores actually increase. Meanwhile, those that rolled them back saw measurable damage.

Costco and Microsoft held their ground and saw reputation boosts. Companies that withdrew DEI efforts were more likely to land in the bottom 25% for ethics and experienced reputational declines. @revoltnews

@entreprenuer tells us that “a new study found that a four-day workweek boosted revenue, reduced burnout and kept employees healthier and over 90% of companies stuck with it.”

We talk about AI all the time. But, say you’re advising a client about guardrails for AI use; @harvardhbs tells us that the most important skill for the future is human skills- emotional intelligence- are the key to career advancement.

AT&T CEO, John Stankey, said the company will not roll back its initiatives. He emphasized AT&T’s merit-based culture and longstanding commitment to fostering belonging and advancement for all employees. ⁠@blackenterprise

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is making the case for the financial benefits of circular business models. “Leading businesses are shifting their success metrics beyond short-term profit to embrace the competitive advantages of circular business models. These companies recognise that circular innovation drives both current performance and long-term resilience.”

Microsoft has partnered with Sublime Systems for a first of its kind deal for green cement. Microsoft has agreed to buy Sublime’s low carbon cement. @bloomberggreen

Supermarkets in Sweden are selling produce grown at the store. Swegreen, a Swedish greentech company, offers circular solutions for urban cultivation. Their hydroponic systems use less water, with zero pesticides, and make produce available year round. @swedense

This conversation with an ESG skeptic turned impact investment professor at MIT is one to read.

@AdamMGrant the Wharton School organizational psychologist shares that 16 studies found the benefits of unplugging from work on nights and weekends. Hello, performance boosting.

Some things to consider when recommending AI solutions. This week UN Women announced a concern over gender equality in AI. AI is only as good as the information it is taught, and AI’s gender bias is showing. @unwomen

Target’s Q1 is down 3.8%, and this week it has revised its annual numbers down citing consumer confidence.  Target Chief Executive Brian Cornell says the consumer boycott has played a role in its current situation.

Wall Street Journal | Target’s Sales Dented by DEI Boycott

Klarna replaced 700 employees with AI, and now Klarna wants to kick the AI to the curb. In a shock to no one, the quality of customer interactions declined with AI. @uniladtech @futurism

Ikea has upgraded its regional Sustainability officer to Chief Sustainability Officer. She will ensure that sustainability is integrated throughout the IKEA offer, and that IKEA continues to address current and future environmental and societal challenges while ensuring business growth.

Mexico created a program to offer books for $1 to grow the number of readers. The literacy initiative is called “25 for 25.” The books are from Latin Americas notable authors and seeks to bring 2.5 million books to young and adult readers across 9 countries. 25 for 25 will operate in reading rooms, an app, and at book fairs. @mexiconewsdaily

“Quadpack Foundation, the non-profit organisation established by beauty packaging provider Quadpack, has launched a major new social impact initiative, to help create work opportunities for young people in vulnerable situations, while promoting inclusivity in the workplace and strengthening the human capital of participating companies. By connecting the private sector, NGOs and the young people themselves.”

Cosmetic Businesses | Reaching for the stars: Quadpack Foundation launches Project Orion

“shared value”—the idea that business and community success go hand in hand. It’s a business essential, which is why the most successful companies have robust corporate social impact strategies that they have invested in for decades. They won’t be abandoning those overnight, regardless of the political environment or what the headlines of the day may read.”

Forbes | Companies aren’t giving up on doing good—they are becoming more strategic about it

70% of companies report increased interactions of Boards and Chief HR Officers.  “Boards and CEOs expect CHROs to act as enterprise leaders who align human capital strategy with financial, operational, and risk priorities and drive workforce strategy, succession planning, mergers & acquisitions, and business transformation in collaboration with the wider C-Suite.”

Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance | The Evolving Role of the CHRO in the Boardroom

Can air filters reduce sick days? @newscientist says air filters can reduce sick days by 10%.

What is the impact for not being an empathetic leader? According to @harvard_business_review the impact is “low morale, poor retention, and a culture where people withhold ideas and concerns.”

@penguinrandomhouse has a new a “book ban” clothing line in partnership with @onlineceramics. 100% of the profits will go to the @americanlibraryassociation, to support libraries and librarians, compile data on book challenges throughout the U.S., and act as a watchdog for censorship efforts in public institutions.

“Censorship, in the form of book bans, is a direct threat to democracy and our constitutional rights, as well as our mission to create books for everyone,” Penguin Random House’s website states. @goodgoodco

This week it was announced that anti- DEI shareholder propositions at Goldman Sachs and Levi’s both failed. Both propositions received less than 2% of the vote. Talk about a vocal minority. The anti-die proposals were the work of The National Legal and Policy Center and the National Center for Public Policy Research, respectively, and were similar to the failed proposals at Costco and Apple.

ESG Dive | More anti-DEI shareholder proposals fail at Goldman Sachs, Levi’s

Women’s Wear Daily | DEI Lives at Levi’s: Less than 1% of Shares Voted to Ditch Diversity Programs

Goldman Sachs | Form 8-K

“At the recent Great Place to Work For All Summit, CEO Anthony Capuano reaffirmed Marriott’s commitment to DEI: “We welcome all to our hotels and we create opportunities for all — and fundamentally those will never change.”⁠’ 40,000 Marriott employees thanked their CEO. @afrotech

@FastCompany introduces us to the new term: meeting hangover. A meeting hangover is “the lingering exhaustion, disengagement, and productivity drain that follow an unproductive meeting. Studies show that 28% of workplace meetings leave employees feeling drained, with more than 90% of workers experiencing meeting hangovers at least occasionally.⁠”
⁠

Levi Strauss & Co announced that this week their shareholders voted down an anti-DEI proposal.

The board’s message is clear. They “told shareholders “Diversity and inclusion principles are critical in ensuring that our products reflect and are relevant to our diverse global consumer base” and “we believe in the strong business case for a diverse and inclusive workforce because it supports company performance and also enhances our culture and the well-being of those who make our Company thrive: our employees.” @hereswhykevin

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@NFL finance chief Christine Dorfler explains how the transformation of the league’s draft into a citywide event drives economic impact, sparks local investment and even influences stadium development. via Bloomberg, @business

The Alabama Forestry Foundation is partnering with schools to  “schoolyard forest” work. Say farewell to asphalt playgrounds and hello to tree filled playgrounds. This is just one example, there is a national forestry movement to partner with local schools and make playgrounds more green.

Governing | Alabama Is Bringing Forests Into Schoolyards

“If Republican leaders took a closer look, they would find that DEI aligns closely with conservative values: self-reliance, equal opportunity and the principle that every American deserves a fair shot. DEI is about making sure that every individual, regardless of background, has the tools and support to contribute meaningfully to our society. It promotes cultures in workplaces, schools and other institutions where everyone has a better chance to be seen, heard and valued.”

Governing | The Conservative Case for DEI

The Bureau of Economic Analysis found that higher education is America’s 10th-largest export. Students rent apartments, buy books and order food, and add revenue to the local community to the tune of 378,175 new jobs during the 2023-2024 academic year. 

In Boston, the international students contribute $3 billion in the city’s economic gains from the more than 63,000 international students attending Boston area colleges and universities. 

Governing | International Students Have Been a Bonanza for U.S. Communities

We talk a lot about how to build purpose and best practices for social impact businesses. But, what about “what not to do.” Like say you are a CEO and start taking an active role in a controversial Presidential administration, As a result,  your company’s sales and value take a bit of a tumble? 

@techcrunch says “protests are listed as an official “risk factor” in paperwork Tesla is required to file with federal regulators.”

Open Concept offices result in 62% more sick days according to an article in the journal, Industrial Health. Why? More germ exposure, more noise, less focus, lack of privacy, and increased stress levels. @facesottowa

Meet BYOAI, bring your own AI. “BYOAI introduces risks that organizations are not yet equipped to manage, including data loss, intellectual property leaks, copyright violations, and security breaches.” @MITSloan

We’ve talked about sports bars that play only women sports. Another one heading to the states from Europe- women only nightclubs.

“Attendees appreciate the safe environment, allowing them to relax without concerns over unwanted attention or safety issues.” @hearherstories

Churches in Sweden are opening to allow Swedes to come in during the day and lay on the pews to rest and recharge. They actually rest, there is no sermon. @P4 Extra

We’ve all heard it- that meeting could have been an email. @mitsmr recommends blocking off days or hours at your organization that meeting free.  Why? It allows people to focus and increases productivity. 

This week Meta and EFM, a forest investment and management firm, signed the 1st ever “long-term contract for the delivery of 676,000 nature-based carbon removal credits through 2035.” The goal of the partnership is to remove more than one million tonnes of carbon emissions over the next decade.

Lululemon is partnering with ZymoChem to scale and commercialize bio-nylon. The company seeks to “advance its leadership in sustainable innovation.”

ESG Dive | Lululemon partners with sustainable materials firm to expand bio-based nylon

The CEO and President of the American Apparel and Footwear Association says that the industry should “focus on smart sourcing and responsible manufacturing in response to fluctuating tariffs.”

ESG Dive | How fashion leaders are thinking about tariffs, textile sustainability

The number of women’s sports bars are said to be quadrupling by the end of the year. 2025 started with 6 women’s sports bars. @goodgoodgoodco

Interesting tidbit: some Premier league teams are promoting a one club mentality. It’s Arsenal. Not Arsenal and Arsenal Women.

JP Morgan Chase rebranded DEI. In the new policies “equity” becomes “opportunity. ” Meet DOI.

What JP Morgan COO said: “The ‘e’ always meant equal opportunity to [JPMorgan], not equal outcomes, and we believe this more accurately reflects our ongoing approach to reach the most customers and clients to grow our business, create an inclusive workplace for our employees and increase access to opportunities.”

ESG Dive | JPMorgan rebrands DEI, leaves Net-Zero Asset Managers initiative

DEI: It’s complicated. – the corporate world, with exceptions. This Wednesday TechCrunch watched as United Healthcare scrubbed DEI from its website.

Here’s the response from United Healthcare:  “We comply with existing and emerging laws while striving to support what is best for the communities we serve. Our values of supporting a collaborative environment where we treat each other with mutual respect continue to be part of our culture and fundamental to expanding access to health care services.”

TechCrunch | UnitedHealth scrubs mentions of DEI from its website

“The Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit that looks to build a better government, on Tuesday announced its new AI Center for Government, an effort to promote artificial intelligence across all levels of government including state and local.”

Route Fifty | Partnership for Public Service launches AI Center for Government

H&M is putting its money where its mouth is to fund the Apparel Impact Institute’s calling on banks, textile companies and brands to clean up supply chains. @trellis_group

@Harvard_Business_Review says these traits point to a toxic boss: lack of self awareness; lack of empathy; self-interested; unpredictable (not in the fun way but the walk on egg shell way); weaponizes power; micromanagers; unreasonable expectations; take behind people’s backs to demoralize and belittle; blame others; and are over confident.

The National Conference of State Legislatures says the number of women serving in state legislatures has increased in 26 states. In Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico women make up more than 50% of the legislature.

Remember when we talked about how John Deere walked back DEI a few months ago? Well, one group saw an opening and it did not go their way.  A conservative group, National Legal and Policy Center, brought an anti-DEI proposal to John Deere shareholders which was rejected handily. 200 million shares to 2.8 million shares. 

What was the proposal seeking? Proof of discrimination against “white employees.”

Why? The conservative group ” described concerns over corporate hiring practices, citing a Bloomberg report that only 6% of the 300,000 jobs added by S&P 100 companies in the year following the death of George Floyd went to White men.“

ESG Dive | Deere shareholders vote down anti-DEI proposal

“Many large corporations may try to do everything or a lot of things, as they have the interests of many stakeholders to take care of. However, if these corporations focus on a more limited number of CSR activities that are aligned with their core competencies, they can create increased business value while also creating greater social value. Creating business value is equally as important as creating social value because businesses may struggle to continue their CSR efforts if they do not generate economic value in return.” – Seoki Lee, professor of hospitality management Penn State

Advising a client on how to show employee appreciation? Surprise! Employees do not feel appreciated by a holiday event. Show employees that they are appreciated and valued every day. Employee appreciation also requires acknowledging employees who are aligned with the company’s ethos (not the teachers’ pets).

Fast Company | Why so Many Employee Appreciation Events Feel Phony

McKinsey consultants tell Harvard Business Review that while women are being educated at higher rates, they aren’t moving up as quickly. They point to Experience Capital. A new buzz phrase to learn, fun. Experience Capital is knowledge, skills, and wisdom learned on the job. @harvard_business_review

IKEA, the Swedish retailer, is spending $1 billion on  3 recycling enterprises so as to an achieve a fully circular business by 2030. Since I was a little kid in Sweden, IKEA has been focused on restoring forests, using sustainable products, and asking customers to pay for reusable shopping bags. Talk about a consistent purpose driven business.  @trellis_group

 “A SHRM report from March 2024 showed that more than 70% of HR professionals agreed that women face discrimination in the labor market.”

A survey by HiBob surveyed 2,000 full-time employees working in hybrid or in-office environments of which 51% of those workers identified as women. Here’s what they found:

• 36% of women feel empowered to do their best
• 28% of women say their corporate culture supports them
• 34% of men received a promotion
• 22% of women received a promotion
• 46% of men received a raise
• 32% of women received a raise

92% of CFOs report an intent to spend more on sustainability according to a global poll of 500+ finance chiefs by management consultancy Kearney and climate media platform We Don’t Have Time. 93% of CFOs see a clear business case for sustainability. 50+% say that sustainability investments will be significantly increased. 

69% expect a higher ROI from sustainability initiatives than conventional investments.

ESG Dive | 92% of CFOs plan to boost sustainability spending

Last week there was a spending blackout which sums up as Target bad, Costco good. What was the impact?

14% drop in Target app usage & 9% drop in web traffic. Costco web traffic was UP 22%.

@goodgoodgoodco

Let’s take our heads out of the gutter for my poorly crafted header and move on to a report by GlobeScan and Ashoka that shows the power of creating an impact culture. An impact culture empowers employee buy-in and leads to profit maximization.. 

74% of employees agree that what their employer says about social and environmental responsibility is inconsistent with their company’s actual behaviors.

 88% of employees say that their individual motivation and loyalty grows stronger as their company increases its performance on social and environmental responsibility.

This is your sign to invest in workplace culture.

CEO Magazine | The secret to successful social impact lies in your employees

Do we need a database of retailers that align with modern mores? @goodgoodgoodco has a solution.

Black owned businesses increased by 57% from 2017 to 2022. During this time, minority-owned employer businesses added $738 billion to the economy & created 1.9 million more jobs.

My favorite stat: Black-female-owned businesses increased by 71.6%.

Brookings Institute via Governing | The Number of Black-Owned Businesses Increased by More Than 50%

We’ve talked about how cities are working to mitigate extreme heat to help their residents and their economy. The wild, Wild West of Nevada wants their cities to also mitigate heat. AB 96 in the Nevada Legislature would require cities to include heat mitigation in their master plans.

Assemblymember Venise Karris, D-Las Vegas, in her testimony on Tuesday. “This bill offers a strategic approach to addressing its effects while still providing our local governments with flexibility in specifically tailoring their mitigation efforts to their communities.”

Governing | Nevada Introduces Bill to Combat Extreme Heat

 Purpose-driven organizations have an annual return averaging 13.1%. This is 9% higher than the S&P. As we know employees who share the purpose of their employer tend to like their jobs and stay, they retain employees who are 64% more satisfied with their work, according to data from IDEO.

Forbes | 4 Reasons Purpose-Driven Companies Outperform The Competition

New turn of phrase for those of us interested in social impact endeavors– longevity HUB. A longevity Hub is a region that offers significant economic and innovative activity for older people. @MITSloan

Missouri, the Show ME State, wants to show us that diversity, inclusivity and equity is discriminatory. How? The state Attorney General is suing Starbucks because it provides “targeted training for advancement” that the right believes is biased against people like John Hamm’s Mad Men character. Does this sound familiar? In 2022, the conservative America First Legal Foundation urged the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate Starbucks for similar reasons. That investigation was dismissed by a judge.

HR Dive | Starbucks’ DEI policies labeled ‘discriminatory’ in Missouri attorney general’s lawsuit

There’s been an increase in the number of US consumers who are no longer purchasing from brands that do not align with their values. GenZ and black consumers lead this trend. Pundits point to this trend increasing after Target denounced DEI.

This isn’t a one sided issue, remember the Bud Light commercial brouhaha?

The Guardian | A quarter of US shoppers have dumped favorite stores over political stances

Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose. I want to say we talked about this group a while back. Let’s reacquaint ourselves, shall we?

This group says it “promote[s] responsible purpose-driven business as it increases customer loyalty, builds employee engagement, improves brand trust, attracts top talent, connects with strategic investors, and contributes to the bottom line.” It is a global network that includes a lot of big name companies. 

Sephora, the beauty retailer, is doubling down on its support for DEI with its documentary “Beauty & Belonging.” A Sephora executive explains the company’s purpose as, “At Sephora, everything that we do — from deciding the brands to partner with to hosting large scale events for our loyal community of beauty enthusiasts — is guided by our purpose to champion a world of inspiration and inclusion where everyone can celebrate their beauty,”

This fits with the messaging guidance we’ve talked about in that purpose requires us to act with purpose and speak with purpose.

ESSG Dive | Sephora boosts DEI with new documentary

Jeffrey Pfeffer, a Stanford Organizational Behavior Professor, says no one cares that offices (workplaces) are not great, or in his words “are killing people.” He explains that offices are breeding grounds for stress, pressure, and depression.  He believes only force — regulation, litigation, and legislation — will compel organizations to create and maintain a healthy workplace. The kicker: he says no one cares. @stanfordgsb

Add consulting company McKinsey to the list of entities standing firm with DEI. @bloombergbusiness

In a survey by the Conference Board, they found philanthropic priorities changing in corporate America. They’re calling it a shift to opportunity and education and away from racial and gender equality. It also notes the biggest challenge for corporate philanthropy is showing the return on investment.

Target’s Impact Officer is talking about “the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape.” In an internal memo, they say Target is  committed to “inclusion” and “belonging.”ESG Dive

ESG Dive | Target ends some DEI initiatives, reiterates commitment to belonging and inclusion

An  Equilar study analyzes all anti-ESG shareholder proposals that have been presented at companies’ general shareholder meetings within the Equilar 500—the 500 largest U.S. public companies by revenue—over the last 5 years.”anti-ESG submissions are routinely struggling to surpass single digits for median support—never rising above 5% since 2020.” The study concludes that while anti-ESG voices are louder and represent a higher volume of shareholder proposals, there is limited support.

Equilar Inc. on Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance | Anti-ESG Proposals Have Increased in Volume, but Fare Poorly

The Conference Board® C-Suite Outlook 2025: Seizing the Future, a comprehensive survey of global business leaders found that US CEOs rank climate risk and sustainability as the top-two external ESG factors likely to impact their business in 2025. Global CEOs are not concerned about anti-ESG sentiment, but US CEOs say that anti-ESG sentiment is their 4th concern behind climate events, sustainability, and energy technology.

Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance | CEO and C-Suite ESG Priorities for 2025