Social Impact

Looking for ways to create a sustainable retail supply chain? A new report from Interline surveyed global brands and retailers with revenue under $100 million to over $1 billion. Recommendations include evaluating supply chain through a lens of efficiency, profitability, and then innovation to support long term success. @interline

2023 was the conservative pushback against DEI. 2024 is shaping up as the conservative push for “Women’s Bill of Rights” In West Virginia it looks like HB 5243 (2024 | WV) the bills define women. Opponents say the bill’s are an attack on the trans community. The bills also define “equal” as “not the same” and “not identical” for equality purposes. The bills are making their way through Southern state legislatures.

Alabama Policy Institute

AP | A West Virginia ‘Women’s Bill of Rights’ is an effort to suppress transgender people, critics say

Remember the headlines when twitter came under the ownership of the Big E? Turns out his “hardline “extremely hardcore” employment practices were not well received. Employees left in mass, productivity fell. Happy employees, happy profits.

Fortune | Elon Musk reportedly quizzed Tesla managers on which staff could be fired—the last time he did that it didn’t end well for Twitter employees

Do employee wellness programs work? A new report in the Industrial Relations Journal and a research fellow at the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford says no. It is estimated that the employee wellness market will reach $120B globally by 2032. Some wellness programs have proven effective, like mental health employee wellness programs.

CBC | Do office wellness programs work? A new study suggests they’re not helping staff

33.5% of board seats in S&P 500 companies were held by women at the end of 2023. 29 companies have a 50:50 board ration for women : men. Intercontinental Exchange Inc., owner of the New York Stock Exchange, Hasbro Inc., Paramount Global, American Water Works Co. and Omnicom Group Inc.  have 60% women on their boards. It is estimated that board parity may occur in 2032. Financial Post  Financial Post | Women making boardroom gains, but they’re still a decade away from parity

2024 is being forecasted as a year when new ESG metrics will come into play as more countries (the UK, Canada, Japan, and more) have indicated that they will adopt the International Sustainability Standards Board’s 2023 inaugural voluntary global sustainability disclosure standards. In addition, 2024 will see companies use more discretion in ESG. Remember how we’ve talked about the changing words around ESG?

Harvard School of Law Forum on Corporate Governance | ESG Insights: 10 Things That Should Be Top of Mind in 2024

A new report, The Language of Sustainability, from the UK says consumers don’t understand what businesses mean when talking about their sustainability initiatives. Terms that more than 50% of consumers understand are: net zero, recycling. With 4% of consumers understanding “circular economy” there’s opportunity for improved communication.

Sustainable Brands | Report Highlights Sustainability Language Barrier Between Business, Consumers

Pandora, the world’s largest jeweler, has switched to using only recycled metals in its products. The company says the change will cut 58,000 tons of CO2 annually. That’s equal to roughly 6000 cars driving around the globe. “We are in the industry of selling beautiful things. That is not going to change,” said Lacik.

WSJ’s | Pandora Shifts to Recycled Gold, Silver as It Makes Jewelry More Sustainable

NYTimes | The World’s Biggest Jeweler Now Only Sources Recycled Metals

Meet Banofi Leather, an India based start up, that has developed a means to create “leather” from banana leaves. The leather is sustainable and has a significantly lower environmental impact than animal leather or plastic leather. @aradhana.chatterjee

The United Nations has created a 5 step test for whether information should be shared. (1) Who made the information? (posted, wrote, etc…) (2) What is the information source? (3) Where did the information come from? (4) Why are you sharing this? (5) When was the information published? Who? What? Where? Why? When? @unitednations

 Houston’s oldest no kill shelter has partnered with a youth music non-profit,Wild Tunes. Wild Tunes was created by 10-year-old Yuvannh Agarwal so that young musicians can comfort animals with music. 

Houston Chronicle | Special Pals, Houston’s oldest no-kill shelter, partners with student musicians to comfort animals

A study by the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business indicates that return to the office policies do not improve profits and will make workers less satisfied with their employers. @washingtonpost @AdamMGrant

Have a policy that you’re interested in but there’s politically motivated push back? Connecting policy makers with scientists has been shown to improve the effectiveness of policies. So, go out there and make friends with scientists. 

Route Fifty | Connecting researchers and legislators can lead to policies that reflect scientific evidence

Why is corporate responsibility important in today’s economy? Because consumer boycotts have an impact think about Budweiser and its controversial ad campaign or Hulu refusing to air democratic political ads dealing with controversial topics like gun control and abortion. Corporate responsibility begets consumer buy-in.

Forbes | Why Corporate Social Responsibility Should Drive Your Organization

A developer in Sweden is building the largest wood city, Stockholm Wood City. It will be a sustainable urban development covering 250,000 sqm* and creating circular material flows while combatting CO2 emission. @businessbulls.in.   *sqm= square meters, that unit of measurement that the rest of the world uses and that makes logical sense. 

At Davos, IKEA’s Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group, which owns most IKEA stores worldwide, said “”This is not a year for us to optimise profits. This is a year to try to navigate on a thinner profit, but to make sure that we support people.”

Reuters | Davos 2024: IKEA prices to fall despite Red Sea disruptions, CEO says 

Chicago is toying with city owned grocery stores to address food insecurity. “All Chicagoans deserve to live near convenient, affordable, healthy grocery options,” Mayor Johnson declared earlier this year. He said he wanted to envision “what a municipally owned grocery store in Chicago could look like.”

Governing | Is There a Place for Supermarket Socialism?

Oklahoma’s Governor issued an Executive Order to eliminate Diversity, Equality and Inclusion policies at Oklahoma’s institutions of higher education.

There’s also a public kerfuffle over DEI policies between Elon Muck (opposed) and Mark Cuban (supportive). One yelled “Racist!” The other yelled “liar!” Musk suggested they resolve their difference with a cage fight. WHAT. IS.HAPPENING?!

PBS | Oklahoma is the latest state to target DEI programs. What’s next?

Forbes | Elon Musk Calls Mark Cuban ‘Racist’ Over DEI Support As Feud Continues

There is pending litigation about the use of  🌝 as a secret indication of a stock “going to the moon.” Sound wacky? Yep. Is it being litigated? Yep, embodies have come up in the drama around dramas over Sam Bankman-Fried, Sam Altman, and more. @theatlantic

Bonjour. “Hugo Boss is backing a new 100 million-euro venture capital fund with Zurich-based Collateral Good to invest in start-ups and technology targeted toward accelerating sustainability in the fashion industry” @WWD

Move over mushrooms and cacti, meet a vegan form of leather made from tea. Turkey is the 5th largest consumer of tea, leaving the country with lots of tea waste for vegan leather making. @was_tea

Gallup’s 2023 Workplace Report indicates that employee satisfaction is falling, a 10% decline this year alone. Just look around this InfoHive, women lawyers are very dissatisfied. Workers in the report cited their reasons for dissatisfaction, including inflation erasing pay gains, the unsettled nature of the workday, and micromanaging employers. Overall employee satisfaction is below 37%. @WSJ

16 of the 20 largest school districts in the US are offering therapy via Telehealth to students. These programs total $70 million in provider contracts. 

AP | Lacking counselors, US schools turn to the booming business of online therapy

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awarded grant funding to indigenous tribes through its 2023 Culture of Health awards. The grant recipient tribes focused on  agricultural heritage and growing crops tied to the tribes cultural heritage.

Governing | Native American Communities Improve Health by Restoring Their Cultures

The nature of lawyers is that they are overworking, overachievers. According to a Bloomberg Law survey, women and Black, Asian, and Hispanic attorneys will leave their firms in 2024 with forced return to work policies. Why? Because they often work on teams where people don’t look like them and interactions with the team members can cause more harm than good. 92% of women surveyed prefer remote or hybrid work schedule. @bloomberglaw

In 2000, women comprised 10% of corporate boards. In 2023, that number is 30%.

Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance | When Bill Rolls Off: Continuity and Change on Corporate Boards

We’ve talked a lot about sustainable fashion whether through economic policies to promote longevity of clothing, sustainable alternatives to leather, supply chains, but we haven’t talked about innovation and the potential for digital manufacturing that eliminates waste. Let’s add this to our sustainability toolkit. @variant3d

The Interline | Digital Transformation – The Solution To Sustainable Fashion

A Japanese company awarded its nonsmoking employees 6 extra vacation days to compensate for the smoke breaks of smoking employees. New York Times

Ferrari CEO says the company is committed to being carbon neutral by 2030. The CEO is a man of science, a physicist. Makes me wonder how many CEOs have science backgrounds? Does that change corporate policies? @bloombergbusiness

Looking for a toolkit to tie a company’s  positive impact on society and the planet beyond profit? Well, look no further than these 15 maxims that include reward behavior that supports the company’s key virtues and build a foundation on values and authenticity.

Forbes | 15 Coaches On How To Tie ‘Impact Beyond Profit’ Into A Business Model

A new study from BlackRock shows that a greater gender balance leads to above average profitability. In lay person speak- more gender parity, more profit. @worldeconomicforum

Bye Bye self check outs. We’ve talked about Nordic retailers who have installed check out lines that allow for long conversations so as to help people who crave conversation. Now we have UK retailer Booths and US retailers Walmart, Costco, Wegmans, and others revamping self checkout strategies. Self check outs aren’t hits with customers either as they tend to be slower and unreliable. @NYTimes

“A new report released Tuesday by Scoop, a hybrid work management startup that also compiles the data set Flex Index, includes an analysis of remote work policies and revenue growth at 554 public companies done in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group.” These public companies revenue growth outperformed over the last 3 years by 16%, compared to companies with restrictive remote work policies. @forbes

How many Americans support political violence heading into the 2024 presidential election? 23%      In 2021, support for political violence was 15% according to the Public Religion Research Institute@npr

NPR | 23% of Americans support political violence ahead of the 2024 election, survey shows

A new study by USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that Hispanic/Latino representation in front of the camera & behind has not improved in 16 years. The study covered more than 62,000 speaking characters in film. @deadline

What happens when companies start getting real and adopt a 4 day work week? Employees are happier, more productive, less anxiety, less burnout, less absenteeism, and more revenue for the company.

@voxdotcom

14 state Supreme Courts have majority women justices. 19th

US Supreme Court Justice Alito said that Dobbs overturning Roe left the issue to voters. Abortion rights supporters have an unbroken streak of 7 statewide initiatives that have passed since Dobbs. On November 7th, voters are said to have voted to support a woman’s right to choose by (1) supporting Ohio’s constitutional amendment supporting a woman’s right to choose (2) re-electing Democrats to the Virginia Senate preventing an abortion ban (3) re-electing Kentucky’s Democratic Governor (4) Pennsylvania voters maintaining a state Supreme Court led by a majority of Democrats. Isaac Newton and physics predicted this- every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Governing | Abortion Rights Ratified by Tuesday’s Election Results

Governing | Voters Reject Taxes, Embrace Ranked-Choice Voting Through Ballot Measures

Mike Carter spent 12 years in prison. He is now the top pizzaiolo | executive chef at Down North Pizza in Philadelphia. “Down North Pizza, which also offers housing above the restaurant to employees, as well as pro bono legal services. “We focus on humanizing individuals, and allowing people to see that they should not be defined by a mistake they made.”’ @washingtonpost

Gucci unveiled its first plant based bag with Billie Eilish, a supporter of animal rights and environmental issues. Gucci previously released a plant based sneaker. Consistency in messaging for a win. @diet_prada

  MIT Sloan school proposes looking beyond traditional metrics to increase diversity. If you keep it in a old school spreadsheet, it is likely both a buzz killer and a way to exhaust your eyesight. Instead look to intentionally welcome diverse workers, integrate them fully into the organization, and adopt ongoing methods to sustain them.

“They must be purposely supplied with the same or equalizing information, connections, skills, projects, and support that are provided to others within the organization. Inequalities must be recognized, and intervening actions must be devised to nudge these conditions in a manner that creates equality and inclusivity. Companies that win at diversity design processes that are advantageous and level the playing field for everyone.”

MIT Sloan School | To increase workforce diversity, focus on these 10 opportunities

How do you recruit and retain Gen Z workers? You change how you talk about your company and job positions. Focus on purpose and missions. Change how you market open positions by forgoing traditional recruitment practices. Use social media. Develop partnerships with universities and non profits. Hear their ideas. See them as people. Adopt collaborative practices.  (you should probably doing this for all your staff) 

Governing | How Local Government Can Recruit and Retain the Gen Z Workforce

“With more than 50% of GDP moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services, its profile at Climate Week was an opportunity to recalibrate the focus on mitigation alone and included the launch of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework.” – Amy Brachio, Global Vice Chair, Sustainability at EY

General Mills and Walmart announced a partnership this week to improve regenerative agriculture. The goal is to advance regenerative agriculture across 600,000 acres of US soil by 2030. Walmart says sustainability is at the core of their future projects & has adopted net zero by 2040.

Sustainability | Walmart and General Mills build a sustainable food supply

Philadelphia’s mayor signed an Executive Order 6-23 to commit the City to annual racial equity action planning, budgeting for racial equity, and public reporting. The 4 step plan is transferrable to companies. It calls for adding a Racial Equity Manager  in each department, department & overall racial equity performance measures, establishing a Racial Equity Community of Practice, and annual racial equity action planning and budgeting for racial equity .

 North Carolina’s Governor created its Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board by Executive Order. But who is to say that an Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board isn’t also a good tool for the business world? Businesses need to show cumulative impact across operations to supply chain to to Human Resources.

Governing | Gov. Cooper Wants Environmental Board for ‘Whole Government’

Need data to support that inclusion improves your bottom line? Here’s 10 sources. ” “Inclusion ends up boosting both your top line and bottom line.”Harvard Business Review.

Think about pollinators. Does your client have outdoor access that can include native plants?By enhancing biodiversity through native plants and pollinator conservation, you can offer your community a range of economic and environmental benefits. Or, support your city’s participation in Bee City USA program. So many options out there. Be creative. 

Route Fifty |  Communities boost climate resilience by protecting pollinators

Marin County, California has reconfigured its tax revenue to create a social impact grant program. The Food, Agriculture and Resilient Ecosystems program is open to projects that serve specific metrics related to objectives on farming, the climate and natural resources. The overarching goal is prioritize community.

Governing | Marin County Opens Social Equity Program Applications

 I always think of fair trade products as products from countries outside the USA. A pleasant surprise that we have a Fair Trade USA. It focuses on labor wellness and sustainability, as well as product sustainability and resiliency, that supports global supply chain sustainability and resilience. Fair Trade USA talks about its partnerships with Whole Foods and Costco and others here: 

The Packer | ‘Ethically sourced produce is having its moment,’ says Fair Trade USA’s Paul Rice

According to @ellevest for every $1 invested in women founded companies, that $1 generates 78 cents. For companies found by men it is 31 cents.

Bonjour, Link Health. Link Health is partnering with Houston, Texas area health systems to bring connectivity to the health sector with home based broadband access. Funding was made available through the The Affordable Connectivity Program that helps households afford the broadband they need for work, school, and health care.

Community Impact | Nonprofit to provide free, reduced-price internet in Montgomery County

26 new chemicals found in everyday beauty products will be banned in California effective 2027  thanks to Assembly Bill 496 . This ban will most likely remove the chemicals from products sold throughout the U.S. In 2020 California became the 1st state in the nation to ban 20 chemicals in personal care products effective January 1, 2025.

CalMAtters | California bans cosmetics chemicals, following EU (again)

This October BlackRock rolled out a Climate Transition-Oriented Private Debt Fund for investing in the transition to net-zero emissions. The intent is to focus on a broad portfolio of companies while staying in compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s updated “Names Rule.”

Utility Dive | New BlackRock fund targets companies transitioning to net zero emissions

What does “sustainable consumption and production mean?” “responsible use of goods and services, emphasizing minimizing natural resources, toxic materials, and waste emissions throughout their life cycles. By adhering to SCP principles, societies can thrive without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” The Impact Investor

Meet the software that combines artificial intelligence with impact reporting and storytelling: Impact Edge™ by Blackbaud.

Wondering how your business can support non-profits? (1) fundraise for a non-profit’s event (like a walk or a run or bakeathon) (2) become a sponsor of the non-profit (3) direct donations from the business and/or a payroll giving program.

Business Leader | CSR: The role of businesses in the wider community

Is corporate social responsibility a new thing? Ummm. Nope. American economist Howard Bowen coined the term in the 1950s. Allow me to introduce you to Howard Bowen’s 1953 book Social Responsibilities of the Businessman.

Business Leader | CSR: The role of businesses in the wider community

22% of shoppers care where their products come from & 17% want to know brand sustainability initiatives. 45% of consumers are willing to pay a premium. What does this mean? The socially conscious consumer isn’t going anywhere & price isn’t the sole reason for purchases.

Entrepreneur | How to Market to the Increasingly Socially Conscious Customer

 September means that it is time for New York Fashion Week, then London, Milan and Paris. I’m sure there are more fashion weeks, but those fill up September. At Milan Fashion week, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Award for Circular Economy at the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards saw Gucci take the top award. Gucci had/has a denim campaign featuring regeneratively grown cotton with post-consumer recycled fibre. Some say fashion isn’t circular yet with sustainable production, repair, and care. I say we’re getting there and that should be celebrated.  Recognize the journey.

Vogue Business | The problem with fashion’s sustainability awards

The EU is introducing us to CSRD, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. We’re essentially talking about sunshine and transparency. So, those in the U.S. should take note that we will  see  this trend too. Spy east is CSRD? It involves set criteria and metrics and 3rd party verification (auditing) to “reduce economic systemic risks, increase capital flow to socially and environmentally responsible companies, and empower civil society and trade unions in holding companies accountable for their societal and environmental impact.”

FinTech Global | Assurance and CSRD: The roadmap to transparent sustainability reporting

 Need a guide to talking about your company’s (or non-profits) impact?  Look no further than Stanford Social Innovation Review’s How to Tell Real Stories About Impact . Here’s a hint from them: talk about “a problem to be solved, action rising to a climax as characters navigate obstacles and opportunities, and, finally, a resolution and a moral.”

52% of employees who left their job say that their managers could have done something to retain them. Great managers retain employees. The takeaway? Ensure managers are trained to be great. @gallup

 Fashion companies have been responding to social impact discussions for as long as infohive has covered social impact. Sustainable fabrics, workforce sustainability, transparent supply chains,  leathers made from cacti, mushrooms and other sustainable materials, and more. So many sustainable practices that the  London College of Fashion is opening an exhibit in October focusing on the social impact of fashion.

BBC | Exhibition to explore social impact of fashion

Two entrepreneurs in Mexico have developed a leather made from cacti. They’ve named it “Desserto”. The cacti are organically and sustainably grown. They estimate the leather could save 1 billion animals. @businessbulls.in

Lyft has introduced women + connect so that riders and drivers can match with other women and nonbinary people. Lyft customers and drivers were frequently requesting the feature. The owomen+ connect program is bring rolled out in limited cities as of September 20th. 

Lyft | Lyft Launches Women+ Connect

 The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute has begun using a traffic collision mannequin that is proportioned with narrower shoulders and wider hips. Before, crash testers used “male” dummies that were simply smaller. Why is this important? A 2019 study from the University of Virginia found that  “women are 73% more likely than men to be injured in the event of a frontal collision.⁠” @npr

@npr

Uber Eats is going to tell us their solution for food deserts. In 2024, Uber Eats grocery service will accept healthcare benefits (for nutritious foods) and food stamps. It’s said in Austin that a tomato in a food desert portion of the city can cost 2-3 times the amount of a tomato in other parts of the city. Go figure.

@Entreprenuer

@virginiatech scientists have discovered how to up-cycle plastic waste by breaking down carbon chains and creating safe soap. Is it only me who sees the regulatory and legislative opportunities?

 Let’s check out a partnership between THX! and a Peruvian grape grower. The Seedings Future Program focuses on education and community development. This includes packaging that shows the farm’s dedication to positively impacting the lives of farmworkers and the source of the fruits. They want to speak directly to the increasingly conscious market.

FreshPlaza

Chevy is recognizing black owned businesses that are “making a positive impact on the community every day.” This is their go-to list of impact factors: social impact and education, digital health and healthy dining, sustainability and environmental justice, and creating access to financial capital.

Chicago Crusader | Chevrolet’s “Step Up” initiative supports Black business owners driving change every day

The American Alliance of Museums has a new social impact measuring tool kit. It could be helpful to many entities beyond museums too. They focus on 4 outcomes: continued learning and engagement, increased health and well-being, valuing diverse communities, +  strengthened relationships.

 Mastercard and the University of Bath have a new report that works through measuring the global social impact of rugby. The metrics are inclusivity of disabled and female athletes, health outreach actively de-stigmatizing mental health care, better educational outcomes, the fan experience expansion to emerging rugby nations, and focusing on sustainability by signing the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework and launching its own World Rugby Environmental Sustainability Plan 2030.

physical.org | ‘Future of Rugby’ report uncovers rugby’s social impact around the world

American Alliance for Equal Rights, which successfully agued the Supreme Court case ending diversity equity and inclusion in university admissions is now focusing on DEI in law firms. American Alliance for Equal Rights alleges that their clients were discriminated against because they are “straight, white men.”

Wall Street Journal | Activist Behind Supreme Court Affirmative Action Cases Is Now Suing Law Firms

Bloomberg Law | Perkins Coie, Morrison Foerster Sued Over DEI Programs

The Illinois Grocery Initiative, SB 850 (2023 | IL), directs $20 million to address the 3.3 million living in food deserts in Illinois. Yes, 1/4 of the state lives in a food desert. The legislation will impact food deserts by supporting “independent grocers through such things as technical assistance, feasibility studies, tax exemptions and access to funding for land, facilities or equipment.” Also included is a grant program for energy efficient equipment.

Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation to Address Food Deserts Across Illinois

 I keep a file of “what not to do” and I’m adding this to it. A tech employer was asked by employees to justify, with data, its return to the office policy. No data was offered and instead a high ranking official in this company said that serendipity occurs when you’re in the office. I like a good John Cusack movie, just like anyone else, but relying on serendipity that occurs when a person is in an office when their work product and performance is excellent out of the office is not a justification for mandatory attendance. Guess how the workers felt? “workers feeling demoralized, distracted and undervalued.” Not an employer winning working confidence. 

Governing | Amazon Says Serendipity Is Enough to Bring Workers in Office

 A new  paper titled “The Emerging Greenium” from researchers at the Univeristy of Florida and the University of China uses data to show that green bonds became less costly in 2019. “[I] nvestors were consistently willing to accept a slightly lower return, or yield, on green bonds when compared to non-green counterparts.”

Route Fifty | An emerging ‘greenium’? New research says green bonds cost governments less

A project by Mastercard in India promoted digital transactions. That allowed Mastercard to track women owned businesses but it got complicated when trying to track the success rates of women owned businesses. To find better metrics analysts relied 3 phases: (1) on assessing pay equity, diversity within leadership ranks, talent development and career progression for underrepresented groups, labor standards; (2) how companies leverage their core competencies, deploy their products and services and work within their supply chains to help address societal challenge; and (3) how companies  philanthropic giving, volunteering, and other community investments.

Forbes | To measure social impact, we could start by using the tools we already have 

We’ve talked about Canada’s medical system offering prescriptions for fresh air and quality fruits and vegetables, now meet a California project called The Mobile Food Pharmacy. It is a partnership between the Food Bank of Contra Costa, Solano and Solano Public Health and Family Health Services that links health care with access to free, fresh produce and healthy cooking resources.

@good

California’s state agency that streamlines procurement is building sustainability into its procurement process. By providing state agencies with an e-catalog of available products and services, the state removes the burden of sourcing materials from each state agency by centralizing procurement and building sustainability into the pre-approved e-catalog. The same process can be applied to non-profits and businesses. Build in the processes for sustainability at every level.

Route Fifty | Ways procurement can push efficiency and sustainability

Slacktivism is a “a type of activism characterized by a lack of commitment or effort.” Some say plastic straw bans are a form of slacktivism because plastic straws account for 0.025% of unrecylced plastic according to National Geographic.

Route Fifty | Did plastic straw bans work? Yes, but not in the way you’d think.

Employees of Dream11, which runs a fantasy sports platform, are fined $1200 if they bother employees while the employee is on vacation. Looks a lot like the policy of some European countries where employers are fined for nothing employees on vacation for non-emergency issues.

@bloombergbusiness

 Say hello to a six-week MIT Sloan School of Management course,  Social Media Strategy: Creating Engagement, Insight, and Action. This online short course examines how social media is shaped by the levers of code, money, norms, and law. You’ll learn from Faculty Director and social media expert Sinan Aral as you take a deep dive into his book, The Hype Machine.

MIT Management Education | Leverage the economic power of social media

never underestimate women & their spending power  A trifecta of women spending power has occurred this summer. The Barbi movie is the first ever woman directed film to gross $1 billion. Taylor Swift’s tour is breaking records with the Phoenix stop provided greater economic impact to the area than the Super Bowl. Beyonce’s tour is also boosting local economies. Abroad Beyonce’s tour spending affected inflation in Sweden and the U.K.

@femalequotient

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) is forming a PAC to support moderates of both parties with the goal of breaking the very conservative supermajority in the Legislature. Kansas has a long history of working across the aisle and reaching bipartisan solutions. A friendly reminder for the private sector too that data supports greater profit with increased diversity.

Kansas Reflector | Gov. Laura Kelly forms PAC to support moderate GOP, Democratic legislative candidates

Converting unused office space into vertical farming is gaining traction. It’s a way to move farming closer to people. A win for sustainability. A win for downtown real estate. 

@good

Trash collectors in Ankara, Turkey created a library consisting of the books that people threw away. It’s quite phenomenal. The trash collector also converted a trash truck into a mobile library to bring books to schools and other libraries.

@upworthy

The 119th anniversary convention for Alpha Phi Alpha, a prominent national Black fraternity is no longer being held in Florida. Why? “Gov. Ron DeSantis’ harmful, racist and insensitive policies against Black communities.” The financial hit to Florida? An estimated $4.6 million in revenue.

NPR Central Florida | Oldest Black fraternity pulls out of Florida convention due to African American history standards

England (like Sweden before her) charges for plastic bag use. England saw a 98% reduction in plastic bag use. 98% drop, wow!

@good

Goodbye to fears that there would be a “she-cession” where women left the workforce due to the pandemic. Fear no more, the number of employed women has increased. Women in the job market reached record highs in June at 77.8%. The largest gap of women and men working is in Arizona with an 18% gap between men and women in the workforce.

Governing | After Pandemic Dip, Women Employment Returns at Record Rate

Meet recovery cafes, a place where rural people can gather for a safe place on their recovery journey from substance abuse or those who have other mental health care goals like loneliness.

The Reaching Rural Initiative is working at the intersection of substance abuse and public safety to provide low cost ways for people in recovery to gather and talk. Lots of partnership opportunities in this space.

Route Fifty | Recovery cafes offer support, healing in rural communities

What is on the mind of 992 corporate board members who responded to a Diligent Institute survey on esg? 12% of US companies do not prioritize esg. Globally that number is 2%. If you listen to the “anti-woke” rhetoric you’d think this number is higher. It is not. 34% in the U.S. say there is risk involved with esg, and we’re full circle as the risk is the political rhetoric.

Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance | Sustainability in the Spotlight: Has ESG Lost Momentum in the Boardroom?

Help your clients with strategy. What do 97% of business leaders identify as a key leadership quality? strategic thinking. What do 96% of business leaders say they don’t have an enough time for? strategic thinking. Help them find the time. Help them identify strategic objectives. Be that strategic thinker for them.

@harvard_business_review

France is providing incentives for people to repair their clothes and shoes in an effort to “reduce textile waste and fast fashion demand.” For the next 5 years, rebates will be available. As an added bonus it will increase the demand for local tailors and cobblers. Very cool, Instead of a policy that is NO! Don’t do this. It is Yes! Do this. Positive reinforcement for the win!

@goodgoodgoodco

Texas failed quality of life rankings for CNBC’s annual business climate ranking. Texas ranks the lowest of all states, below Arizona. CNBC ranking for TExas quality of life began to decline in 2017. The rankings point to Texas’ ” outlawing diversity and inclusion offices in higher education institutions, banning healthcare for transgender minors and the state’s strict abortion ban.” Texas received an “F” for life, health, and inclusion, and a “C” for business friendliness, education, and infrastructure.

Houston Chronicle | Texas ranked No. 1 worst state to live and work in, new study says

Three 8th grade girls in Baltimore unlocked how to deliver fresh food to local food deserts. Their ingenious idea is to have buses park in neighborhoods filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. The buses will have a point of sale system and will help people who can’t get to fresh markets.

@baltimorebanner

I regularly follow Martha Stewart on social media. This week she posted about climate change, not her usual modus operandi. Much like corporations who are finding their voice, so is Martha. This how she approached climate change, it could be helpful in advising clients: “I just don’t want you all to think I sit around feasting on caviar and black truffles every day. In fact today was a disaster!!! Eight inches of rain!! Road washced out down to surge stone level! Trees hit by lightning. Trees falling into other trees because of weakened footing due to so much water vegetables rotting in the garden because of so much water. And what are we doing as a nation to remedy this erratic weather and global warming?? Think about it and start to act responsibly please!!!!!!!!”

@marthstewart48

Recently the Texas Legislature passed a bill that is said to override local worker safety protections for heat exposure. Let’s be clear, Texas is hot in the summer. Like inferno hot. Meet Rogers-O’Brien Construction, a Texas company that is protecting its workers by having them wear technology to monitor heat and other health impacts at job sites. The wearable technology will continuously monitor heart rate, body temperature and other biometric indicators, and will send an alarm to the worker and a safety supervisor to protect the worker from health impacts.

Governing | One Texas Company Uses Wearable Tech to Beat the Heat

Shopify now has a calculator that calculates the cost of meetings that involve 3 or more people. The calculator is embedded in employees calendars. A 3o minute meeting can cost from $700 to $2000. That’s an efficiency measurement. if I ever saw one.

@bloombergbusiness

Goats are being used to clean up overgrown green space in Austin. Goats are also being used to clean up vegetation in Reno, Nevada to prevent wild fires. In Reno, the city and county are partnering with the Nevada Energy and the Nevada Division of Forestry. Kudos for thinking outside the box.

@Austinmonthly

City of Reno | Reno Fire, NV Energy, Nevada Division of Forestry Using Goats to Reduce Wildfire Risk