Sharp perspectives. Deep expertise. Cutting-edge innovations. Purposeful Connections is your bi-weekly source for the latest in purpose and ESG. Subscribe here.
If you read the last edition of Purposeful Connections, you know our team has been busy connecting with colleagues and peers at conferences over the past few weeks. Whenever possible, we always like to involve our client partners in thought leadership opportunities, from articles and podcasts to conferences - there is truly no better way to demonstrate the impact of authentic purpose work. Catch up on some of our latest thought leadership ventures below:
Mission Every One is Macy's commitment to build a business that is reflective of the communities it operates in. As part of "MEO," Macy's is committed to expanding representation through merchandising, increasing the number of Black-owned brands on its shelves eight-fold since late 2020. Now, Macy's is investing $30 million over five years to support entrepreneurs and small business owners from underrepresented groups in the retail industry. Through a partnership with Momentus Capital, Macy's expects the total financing for the program to exceed $200 million.
Quick stats:
Black, Latino, and women founders receive only single-digit percentages of venture capital, even though those groups make up a much larger percentage of the U.S. population.
Black founders received just 1 percent of venture capital funds, and women and Latino founders received 2 percent.
The Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) Initiative just hit an exciting milestone--$66 trillion in assets under management. Launched in late 2020, NZAM is committed to supporting the goal of reaching net zero by 2050 or sooner to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C. New signatories include AllianceBernstein and Northern Trust AM.
Climate and human health are intricately linked, and while threats like sea level rise and global warming tend to get the bulk of attention, more healthcare professionals and organizations are calling for urgent action. Among the largest health-related threats of climate change are an increase in the spread of infectious and zoonotic diseases; severely overburdened and chronically under-staffed healthcare systems; and continued global over-dependence on fossil fuels.
Quick stats:
30 percent of the world's largest 800 cities have cut their climate action programs.
Close the 60 percent of healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income nations lack access to reliable electricity.
Is your hybrid "workplace" inclusive? Designing a hybrid or remote working experience that is inclusive comes with unique challenges, from how conflicts are managed to how technology resources are distributed. Harvard Business Review suggests that HR leaders consider five "practical dimensions" of inclusive hybrid workplaces: recruitment/remote onboarding, working together, resolving conflict, team cohesion, and promotions.
Harvard Business Review: 5 Practices to Make Your Hybrid Workplace Inclusive
Quick stats:
85% of women with childcare responsibilities reported that their caregiving responsibilities were making it somewhat or much more difficult to attend to work, as did 70% of men who were caregivers.
Comments